Nyamvumba roots for collective action to deal with regional security challenges

Rwanda’s Chief of Defence Staff of Rwanda Defence Forces, Gen. Patrick Nyamvumba addressing the meeting

Chief of Defence Staff of Rwanda Defence Forces, Gen. Patrick Nyamvumba has called for collective efforts in dealing with regional security challenges.

Gen. Nyamvumba made the remarks yesterday, while officially opening a five-day meeting that brought together security officials from EAC member Countries including Rwanda, Kenya, Burundi, South Sudan and Uganda.

The meeting aims at discussing and measuring implementation framework for Mutual Defence, Peace and Security Pacts among member Countries.

In his opening remarks, Gen. Patrick Nyamvumba reminded participants that security challenges that the region is facing need a collective action.

“Regional countries are facing security threats ranging from FDLR, LRA, ADF NALU, Al Shabab and other terrorist groups. One can only emphasize that all these threats require our collective action”, he said.

Nyamvumba underlined that the pacts set to be reviewed during the meeting are mainly for safeguarding the region’s development projects and security in general.

“These security pacts are meant to safeguard the development of various infrastructure projects that the region is undertaking. These include the railway line, the single customs territory to facilitate free movement of goods and the single tourist visa among others.”

Welcoming Burundi and South Sudan who recently joined the new regional military initiative, Gen Nyamvumba emphasized that: “Your association to this mutual defence, peace and security pacts is vital as we are people with a common destiny.”

The RDF spokesperson, Brig Gen Joseph Nzabamwita told Journalists that for implementation of these regional defence pacts, two steps were much needed including ratification by respective countries, which he said is under process, as well as putting out implementation framework.

Nzabamwita said that regional security is not an alarming issue at the moment, but cautioned on the need for vigilance in maintaining it.

“Regional security is not alarming but one single terrorist attack is one too many as it scares tourists, a sector that contributes to EAC economies. EAC member Countries are working together to solve their own problems and not rely on external solutions.

We want to guarantee our people that we can sort out our own problems including security,” he said.

The meeting will be followed by other meetings of the chiefs of defence, chiefs of police, chiefs of intelligence and chiefs of correction services which will culminate into Ministerial meetings.